Writing Feature Stories: How to research and write articles - from listicles to longform

by Matthew Ricketson

Overview

Good writing engages as it informs and feature journalism offers writers the opportunity to tell deep, affecting stories that look beyond the immediate mechanics of who, what, where and when and explore the more difficult-and more rewarding- questions: how and why? Whether you're a blogger, a news journalist or an aspiring lifestyle reporter, a strong voice and a fresh, informed perspective remain in short supply and strong demand; this book will help you craft the kind of narratives people can't wait to share on their social media feeds.

Writing Feature Stories established a reputation as a comprehensive, thought-provoking and engaging introduction to researching and writing feature stories. This second edition is completely overhauled to reflect the range of print and digital feature formats, and the variety of online, mobile and traditional media in which they appear.

This hands-on guide explains how to generate fresh ideas; research online and offline; make the most of interviews; sift and sort raw material; structure and write the story; edit and proofread your work; find the best platform for your story; and pitch your work to editors.

'A wide-ranging, much-needed master class for anyone who tells true yarns in this fast-changing journalistic marketplace' - Bruce Shapiro, Columbia University

'Useful and thought provoking' - Margaret Simons, journalist and author

'A must read for any digital storyteller who wants to write emotive, engaging, believable content.' - Nidhi Dutt, foreign correspondent

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780367720179
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	03/31/2021
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

MATTHEW RICKETSON is Professor of Journalism at the University of Canberra and has worked as a journalist at The Age, The Australian and Time Australia magazine. He is the author of Telling True Stories and editor of Australian Journalism Today.

CAROLINE GRAHAM is a journalism lecturer at Bond University. She worked at The Daily Mercury, has written for Traveller's Map and 2020 Magazine, and has coordinated interactive data journalism projects for Crikey and The Guardian Australia.

Table of Contents

List of infographics and resources

Acknowledgements

1. Why feature stories matter

2. Creating stories for the full range of media forms

3. The variety of feature stories amid the variety of media forms

4. Being reader-oriented from start to finish

5. Generating fresh story ideas

6. Gathering the raw material

7. The subtle and slippery art of interviewing

8. Seeing things for yourself

9. Finding the right structure for the story

10. Leads, closes and that big lump in the middle

11. Wordcraft

12. Editing your story and getting published

Glossary

Suggestions for further reading

Endnotes

Index

Editorial Reviews

"A wide-ranging, much-needed master class for anyone who tells true yarns in this fast-changing journalistic marketplace." —Bruce Shapiro, Columbia University

From the Publisher